Grinding and decorticating machine for cereals and like materials



July 20, 1954 Filed Jan. 15, 1955 E. H. J. GRIMARD GRINDING AND DECORTICATING MACHINE FOR CEREALS AND LIKE MATERIALS 4 Sheets-Sheet l July 20, 1954 H 1 GRlMARD 2,684,205

GRINDING .ANDDECORTICATING MACHINE FOR CEREALS AND LIKE MATERIALS Filed Jan. 15, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet? as n. g 0 O N a 45 a o s 4 50 46 July 20, 1954 E H GRMARD 2,684,205

Filed Jan. 15, 1955 GRINDING AND DECORTICATING MA CHINE FOR CEREALS AND LIKE MATERIALS 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 M ma E. H. J. GRIMARD DECORTICATING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.13.

July 20, 1954 GRINDING AND FOR CEREALS AND LIKE MATERIALS Filed Jan. 15, 1955 Patented July 20, 1954 UNITED STATES 5* OFFICE GRINDING AND DECGRTICATING MACHINE FOR CEREALS AND LIKE MATERIALS Claims priority, application Belgium September 23, 1952 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for grinding or decorticating cereals and the like by rubbing the grains upon abrasive surfaces.

The invention has for its main object to provide by judicious selection and arrangement of the parts and elements, an improved machine, capable of working at high speed, of the order of 500 revoluticns per minute, and thus of obtaining a higher output than hitherto.

Another object is to provide an improved machine of this kind, suitable for operation on the industrial scale, avoiding mechanical difficulties which have been encountered hitherto.

A further object is to provide for repeated grinding of cereals or like grains upon abrasive surfaces while exposed to a current of air for carrying off the husks and other matter separated from the grains by said surfaces.

Other objects of the invention and its advantages will appear hereinafter in the course of the description of a preferred embodiment of the machine and an explanation of its operation, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent by way of illustration and not of limitation a machine of the kind in question comprising two groups of grinding elements with their feed device. In these drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4 represents on a larger scale a part-sectional elevation of the feed device, the section being taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3 and the lower portion being reversed in direction;

Fig. 5 is a side View of the upper part of Fig. 4, with partial section on the line V--V thereof;

Fig. 6 is a front view of one of the end-covers for the grinding chambers;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line VIIVII of Fig. 6;

Figs. 8 and 9 represent half-elevations of the front and rear faces respectively of one of the end-covers on the opposite side of the grinding chamber;

Fig. 10 is an axial section of the end-cover along the line XX of Fig. 9

Figs. 11 and 12 represent on a larger scale transverse sections along the lines XL-XI and XIIXII respectively of Fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is a part-sectional elevation of a portion of a grinding chamber, showing the arrangement of an inner tube supporting an abrasive band.

Fig. 14. is a cross-section of a grinding chamber showing the manner in which the grain of material travels inside said chamber which is as- 2 sumed to be given a circumferential orbital movement.

Referring to the drawings, the machine illustrated comprises a heavy frame I provided with two parallel vertical cheeks or brackets 2 in which there revolve three horizontal shafts parallel to one another; the lower shaft 3 fitted with a belt pulley 4 is the driver, revolving in bearings 5, t, accommodated in the lower ends of thecheeks 2. The two other shafts M are disposed in a common horizontal plane at a higher level, the axes of the three shafts representing the apices of inverted isosceles triangles. The shaft 3 is balanced by counterweights 3a and is fitted externally of the cheeks 2 and at its opposite extremities with balanced crank discs 13, having crank pins i2 engaged in parallel connecting rods or couplers 8, preferably in the shape of lozenges, spaced apart in vertical planes. The connecting rods or couplers 8 are also engaged by means of ball bearings upon crank pins iii of corresponding crank discs 15 upon the two shafts M, which carry balancing counterweights Ma and revolve in bearings accommodated in the upper part of the checks 2.

The connecting rods 8 are spaced apart by grinding elements consisting of tubular or cylindrical chambers iii, set in groups disposed vertically (Fig. 3) and forming for example a lefthand group of four elements it disposed one above the other and another parallel group on the right, likewise composed of four elements one above the other, and disposed symmetrically in relation to those of the first group.

These chambers Iii are fitted internally in a detachable and interchangeable manner with supports for bands of abrasive intended for the treatment of the grains or other materials which are conveyed thereto by feed devices as hereinafter described; these materials enter the upper chambers or containers of the groups, at one side of the machine, then travel to the opposite ends of the containers where they fall into the containers disposed below, and so on, all the extremities of the tubular containers on one side of the machine being connected to a suction device, while all the extremities on the other side are arranged to allow the entrance of exterior air. As shown in Fig. 13, each container it comprises internally a central tube 28 upon which there are arranged a number of apertured collars 34, upon the periphery of which are fitted the bands 36 of abrasive, maintained at their meeting edges by a covering strip 31 soaked with adhesive. The

3 collars 3d are secured by pins 35 engaged obliquely through the collars and the central tube 28.

These tubular chambers or containers ill are closed at their opposite extremities by end-covers 38 for entry of air, as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, on one side of the machine and by end-covers for egress of air on the other side of the machine, as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10; the latter side serves for suction of the huslrs and other undesired products into a recovery plant (not shown), comprising for this purpose apparatus such as suction fans, cyclone separators and the like, as well known in the art.

The extremities of the inner tubes 33 on the air-inlet side of the machine, as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, carry support members 352a upon which the air-entry end-covers 38 are screwed; these members 33 and 3% take the form of discs apertured by the provision of radial arms or ribs. For this purpose, the hub of the disc 38a has internal screw-threads engaged upon the corresponding external screw-threads of a steel bush t l fast with the hub of the disc or cover the periphery of which is formed with a radial and annular surface 30. A wire gauze disc 35 acting as a sieve is clamped between the concentric annular faces of the members 38 and 38a, which thus form an assembly slidable over the extremity of the inner tube 28 until it abuts by way of a gasket tea, made for example of rubber, upon the radial and annular surface of the respective extremity of the tubular container is. A solid plug cs, made for example of steel and secured firmly in the end of the inner tube 2 5, comprises external screwthreads ll at its outer end upon which there is then screwed a cap-shaped lock nut 42, this nut being provided with holes eta by engagement of a wrench and clamping the assembly 88, d5, against the extremity of the tubular chamber or container l8, as shown in Fig. i.

In the opposite extremities of the inner tubes 28, that is to say on the suction side of the machine, and as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 16, there are permanently engaged perforated plugs made for example of steel, comprising external screwthreads div. upon which are screwed the corresponding internal screw-threads of steel bushes t la secured to the hubs of the end-covers 39. At the inner ends of the bushes talc, there are provided external screw-threads l lb upon which are screwed the hubs of support members 38a. Between the face of the members and Eric there are clamped gauze discs or sieves the, similar to the discs ib above described.

Each end-cover 39 is extended forward by a conduit leading to a discharge orifice 5.8, to which there may be fitted at 49 a flexible pipe connected to the suction and recovery plant (not shown). The cover 38 is also formed with external projections 49a for the engagement of a wrench.

Thus the assembly 3911, llie and 39 forms a unit which screws at lla upon the plug lfia until the annular edge of the tubular container l8 abuts against a gasket 48a in the annular recess 58 of the end-cover 39. I

It follows that by screwing the cap-nut d2 against the end-cover 38, as in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, the inner tube 28, with the other end-cover 39, shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, screwed thereon at Ma, receives a longitudinal pull which causes the two end-covers 38 and 39 to move towards one another and thus to clamp the tubular container in between them, the extremities of the container engaging in the annular seatings 48 by means of the gaskets 13a.

The tubular chambers I53 can thus have their inner tubes 28 withdrawn and replaced at will by the simple unscrewing of the cap-nuts :32 shown in Figs. 4, 6 and '7, without it being necessary to dismantle the end-cover 39 on the suction side of the machine.

By this arrangement, the inner tubes 28 carrying the bands of abrasive can be readily removed from the tubular chambers It by unscrewing the cap-nuts 32 and as soon as they are withdrawn the abrasive bands cs can be replaced after wear.

A standard M, Fig. l, fixed at its base upon the top of the cheeks 2, carries a platform 58 supporting the device for feeding the machine. In the present example, there are two supply pipe i7 delivering in line with openings formed in the platform It, Figs. 4 and 5, over cylindrical faces It, to each of which is fitted the correspondingly shaped extremity of a pipe 22, adapted to oscillate upon pivots 2! carried by vertical guard plates 28 at the edges of the platform iii.

The sides of the pipes 22 are provided also with supports for rollers 2?, Fig. 5, travelling upon the faces 22 0f the plates 2E3 during their oscillations around the pivots 25. These oscillations are brought about by the orbital movements of the tubular chambers lb, to which he pipes 22 are connected by pipes Figs. 1 and 4; the orbital movements of the chambers it are produced by the connecting rods or couplers 8, as will be explained hereinafter.

At one end of each upper tubular container 98, Fig. i, there is fixed a feed elbow as provided with a retaining shoulder 22 and engaged in the container wall, where it is fixed by means of a ring and lock. nut 2511; the inner end of this elbow discharges into the chamber along a section 262) of bevelled or curved shape, in a longitudinal direction. The conduit 25 is connected by a balljoint 25 to the straight tube 25, itself connected by another ball-joint 28 to the pipe 22 so as to form an articulated pipe-system.

At the opposite end to the fee-:1 elbows 28, the two upper tubular chambers it are each provided on their under side, Fig. 11, with a pipe-connection 29, engaged a hole offset from the vertical axis of the chamber, being retained by a flange and secured by a ring 35 locked against the chamber wall by a nut engaged upon the externally screw-threaded portion of the pipe 29. Under this nut there is presented the corresponding nut 33 of a similar pipe-connection 29 disposed at the top of the chamber ill immediately below but with a small gap or spacing, that is to say with a break of continuity at 5! between the screw-threaded extremities of the two pipe-connections 29. Again, at the opposite extremity of this lower container, there will be provided a pipe-connection 29 having a pipe 50, Fig. '1, leading to the pipe-connection 29 of the next tubular chamber or container ill below; as above, the communication between these tubular chambers H) is similarly arranged as far as the lower extremity of the last tubular chamber 50 of the group in question. This lowermost charm ber comprises an outlet pipe-connection 80, Figs. 1 and 12, for the discharge of the treated produc the pipe-connection being arranged axially, with a ring 32, locked by the nut 33 engaged upon the screw-threaded extremity of the pipeconnection 30.

Fig. 14 represents the path of a grain within a tubular chamber or container 'idassumed to be given an orbital movement. This grain is thrown from 52 to 53, where it suffers an abrasion effect in contact with the abrasive surface 36, and again at 54 where it is next thrown, then back to 52, and so on, while it traverses the tubular chamber from one end to the other.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the frame I is formed with lugs 5t, 5'? for holding-down bolts and for jacks or other levelling means, if necessary.

The operation of the machine is as follows: When the shaft 3, Fig. l, is rotated by the driving pulley 4, the orbital movement of the crank pins l2 and I5 communicates a similar movement to the couplers or connecting rods 8,

- which move in vertical planes parallel to one another; thus the tubular chambers or containers iii maintain their horizontal positions while moving parallel to themselves in rapid orbital movement without rotation on their axes.

The material to be ground or decorticated, for example grains of wheat, descends for example from a hopper into the supply pipes ll, Figs. 1, a and 5, and through the jointed pipe-system 22, 24, 2t, penetrates into the uppermost tubular chambers ill, thence passing successively through the connections 29, 58 into the tubular chambers Ill disposed below and forming the respective groups. In its travel from left to right in one tubular chamber, then from right to left in the next chamber below, and so on, the grains, by reason of the rapid orbital movement, are thrown against the abrasive surface 36 on the internal periphery, striking said surface as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 14; thus the grains undergo successive abrasions during their repeated contacts, being thrown from and falling back upon the abrasive surface. Finally, the discharge of the treated grains takes place through the pipe connections 36, Figs. 1 and 12, while the dusty product obtained (husks or bran) is led away to a suction device through the outlets it, into flexible discharge pipes fitted at 49, Fig. 10, being thereafter further treated or packed into sacks, as desired.

It is obvious that other forms of embodiment of the machine according to the present invention may be conceived without departing from the scope of the invention, which consists of a high speed. machine for the grinding or decortication of cereals and like materials, having the characteristic features set out in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A high-speed grinding machinefor cereals and like materials, comprising a fixed frame and provided with two parallel vertical cheeks, in which there revolve, at the positions of the apices of an inverted isosceles triangle, three shafts parallel to one another, the lowermost shaft being the driver, all said shafts being provided with balancing counterweights and carry ing externally of the cheeks balanced crank discs including crank pins upon which there are engaged in parallel vertical planes two connecting rods spaced apart horizontally by tubular con tainers set in vertically disposed groups and having means for fixing in a detachable and interchangeable manner therein bands of abrasive for the treatment of the materials, with a feed device for bringing said materials to the extremities of the upper containers of the groups on the same side, said materials being then conveyed to the opposite extremities and pouring out through pipe connections into the facing extremities of the containers arranged below the first, and so on as far as the outlet orifices, all the extremities of the tubular containers on one side being connected to a suction device, while all the extremities on the other side are arranged to allow the entrance of exterior air.

2. A grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, means for driving one of said shafts, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, a plurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, covers fitted to the ends of said chambers outside said brackets, abrasive linings within said chambers, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of an upper chamber, means for passing said material from the other end of said upper chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber at a lower level, means for passing said material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber at a still lower level, and means for discharging ground material from a lowermost chamber, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from end to end of said chambers and being thrown against said abrasive linings by said orbital movement, and said covers being apertured for passage of air from end to end of said chambers for removal of matter ground from said material by said abrasive linings.

3. A grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, means for driving one of said shafts, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, a plurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, covers fitted to the ends of said chambers outside said brackets,

- abrasive linings within said chambers, means for fixing said abrasive linings detachably within said chambers, said fixing means comprising inside each chamber an inner tube screwed to said covers, and a plurality of apertured discs mounted at intervals upon said inner tube, said linings being fitted around said discs, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of an upper chamber, means for passing said material from the other end of said upper chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber at a lower level,

means for passing said material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber at a still lower level and means for discharging ground material from a lowermost chamber, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from end to end of said chambers and being thrown against said abrasive linings by said orbital movement, and said covers being apertured for passage of air from end to end of said chambers for removal of matter ground from said material by said abrasive linings.

4. A grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, means for driving one of said shafts, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, aplurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, covers fitted to the endsof said chambers outside said brackets, inner tubes arranged axially of said chambers, said covers being screwed to the extremities of said tubes, abrasive linings within said chambers, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of an upper chamber, means for passing said material from the other end of said upper chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber at a lower level, means for passing. said. material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber at a still lower level, and means for discharging ground materialfrom a lowermost chamber, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from. end to end of said chambers and being thrown against said abrasive linings-by said orbital movement, and said covers being apertured for passage of air from end to end of said chambers for removal of matter ground from said material by said abrasive linings.

5. A grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, means for driving one of said shafts, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a. pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, a plurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, radially apertured covers fitted to the ends of said chambers outside said brackets, filters over the apertures in said covers, abrasive linings within said chambers, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of an upper chamber, means for passing said material from the other end of said upper chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber at a lower level, means for passing said material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber at a still lower level, and means for discharging ground material from a lowermost chamber, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from end to end of said chambers and being thrown against said abrasive linings by said orbital movement, and matter ground from said material by said abrasive linings being removed by passage of air from end to end of said chambers through said filters.

6. A. grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, means for driving one of said shafts, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, a plurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, said chambers being arranged in groups of several chambers disposed vertically one above another, covers fitted to the ends of said chambers outside said brackets, abrasive linings within saidchambers, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of the uppermost chamber of each of said groups, means for passing said material from the other end of said uppermost chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber of the same group at a lower level, means for passing said material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber of the same group at a still lower level, and means for discharging ground material from the lowermost chamber of each of said groups, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from end to end of said chambers and being thrown against said abrasive linings by said orbital movement, and said covers being apertured for passage of air from end to end of said chambers for removal of matter ground from said material by said abrasive linings.

'7. A grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, means for driving one of said shafts, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, a plurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, said chambers being arranged in groups of several chambers disposed vertically one above another and between two of said horizontal shafts, covers fitted to the ends of said chambers outside said brackets, abrasive linings within said chambers, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of the uppermost chamber of each of said groups, means for passing said material from the other end of said uppermost chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber of the same group at a lower level, means for passing said material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber of the same group at a still lower level, and means for discharging ground material from the lowermost chamber of each of said groups, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from end to end of said chambers and being thrown against said abrasive linings by said orbital movement, and said covers being apertured for passage of air from end to end of said chambers for removal of matter ground from said material by said abrasive linings.

8. A grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, the axes of said shafts being aligned with the apices of an inverted triangle, means for driving the lowest of said shafts, the other two of said shafts being disposed at the same level, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, a plurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, said chambers being arranged in groups of several chambers disposed vertically one above another and between said two shafts disposed at the same level, covers fitted to the ends of said chambers outside said brackets, abrasive linings within said chambers, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of the uppermost chamber of each of said groups, means for passing said material from the other end of said uppermost chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber of the same group at a lower level, means for passing said material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber of the same group at a still lower level, and means for discharging ground material from the lowermost chamber, of each of said groups, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from end to end of said chambers and being thrown against said abrasive linings by said orbital movement, and said covers being apertured for passage of air from end to end of said chambers for removal of matter ground from said material by said abrasive linings.

9. A grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, means for driving one of said shafts, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, a plurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, covers fitted to the ends of said chambers outside said brackets, abrasive linings within said chambers, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of an upper chamber, said feeding means including an articulated pipe system having one end receiving the supply of material at a fixed point and the other end attached to said upper chamber, means for passing said material from the other end of said upper chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber at a lower level, means for passing said material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber at a still lower lever, and means for discharging ground material from a lowermost chamber, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from end to end of said chambers and being thrown against said abrasive linings by said orbital movement, and

said covers being apertured for passage of air from end to end of said chambers for removal of matter ground from said material by said abrasive linings.

10. A grinding machine for cereals and like materials, comprising a frame including two parallel vertical brackets, three horizontal shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets, means for driving one of said shafts, crank pins secured upon opposite ends of said shafts outside said brackets, a pair of couplers engaged upon said crank pins outside said brackets, a plurality of cylindrical chambers mounted at different levels in said couplers and forming spacers between them, covers fitted to the ends of said chambers outside said brackets, abrasive linings within said chambers, means for feeding material to be ground into one end of an upper chamber, said feeding means including an articulated pipe system having one end receiving the supply of material at a fixed point and the other end formed as an elbow passing through the wall of said up per chamber, the extremity of said elbow inside said upper chamber being bevelled for delivery of said material longitudinally of said chamber, means for passing said material from the other end of said upper chamber into the adjacent end of another chamber at a lower level, means for passing said material from the other end of said other chamber to a third chamber at a still lower level, and means for discharging ground material from a lowermost chamber, said couplers and chambers performing an orbital movement upon rotation of said shafts, said material travelling from end to end of said chambers and being thrown gainst said abrasive linings by said orbital movement, and said covers being apertured for passage of air from end to end of said chambers for removal of matter ground from said ma terial by said abrasive linings.

No references cited. 

